There is a new scam in which fraudsters claiming to be from the Federal Reserve contact the public through unsolicited phone calls and emails. The fraudsters falsely state there has been suspicious activity in a bank account that is held by the target of the fraud at a commercial bank. They will try to instill fear, possibly by stating there is an arrest warrant for the account holder and claiming that the account holder needs to speak with a Federal Reserve officer immediately.
We urge the public to remain alert to fraudulent scams involving individuals who purport to be employees of the Federal Reserve Bank. Federal Reserve Banks do not maintain any type of funds or accounts for individuals, nor do Federal Reserve Banks directly e-mail or call individuals holding accounts at commercial banks regarding suspected suspicious activity in those accounts.
Again, Federal Reserve Banks will never contact the public via unsolicited phone calls or e-mails asking for money or any type of personal information.
If you have any questions, please contact the Federal Reserve Bank Financial Intelligence and Investigations Unit staff via the Report.Fraud@ny.frb.org email address.